Friday, September 18, 2009

Jumping in puddles: A review by a bereaved mum.

New Zealand mourned for seven canyoneers from Elim Christian College who were killed when a flash flood swept their 12-person group down the steep, bouldery Mangatepopo River last April 15th, 2008. Six students, 14-16 and their college teacher, 29-year-old Tony McClean died.

They were taking part in a program at the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre when a flash flood surged down the normally placid Mangatepopo Stream.

Jumping in puddles tells the life of Natasha Bray as told by her parents, brother and friends and survivor Kish Proctor. I watched the video twice and identified with Nikki her mum.

Why jumping in puddles I asked?" When life was tough, when it was time to make the best of a difficult circumstance. Natasha would 'jump in Puddles'; It was her way of saying that she would take a deep breath and do it anyway. She was determined to make her life count for something - her story is inspiring others across the nation."

It was a brave mum in the video. A mum whose child was taken away from her at 16. Watching the video with me was M. She had just returned from Australia after the funeral of her two and half year old grand daughter B. The video probably touched M and my heart more than many others. None the less, there was hardly a dry eye.

This month, my late Andrew would have turned twenty. But he lie in Waikumate cemetery as a 55 day old. Natasha, her friends and teacher, B and my Andrew, they had gone to Heaven, a better place before us. We, mums would like them to be with us. but some things are beyond our control. I like to know their deaths have not been in vain but have impacted someone else.

Why have I posted this photo of D when she was five years old? I sewed her a pair of leggings, bought her yellow rain coat and red gum boots so she could jump in the puddles. Chinese people do not encourage children to play in the rain and jump in the puddles, because they think they will get a cold. I was a crazy mum, I even jumped in the puddles with her. Little did I know, twenty years later I would use this photo to tell this story.

That was a beautiful and moving post. We lost twin daughters at birth 48 years ago. Can you believe, we never forget. We have no pictures of them, but use a picture of two angels in our family picture wall to represent them. Blessings to youQMM